Friday, September 02, 2005

truth

Truth is a formidable enemy. Suppress it and it does not disappear. Hide it and it shows itself sooner or later. Muffle truth and it ultimately manages to be heard.

Truth is a big problem for those who lie and deceive. Truth does not only survive the lie and the deception. It even outlives the liar and the deceiver.

In the last analysis, an impeachment process is a search for truth about mere allegations. It is the pursuit of what is true—or otherwise—about serious accusations.

The accused has all the right to be defended, to be heard, and to be acquitted if found not guilty of any charges made. Otherwise, the accused remains suspect, loses the trust of people, lives with doubts from others, leads with difficulty.

It is anything but fair for the President not to be allowed to have her side aired. She can have the best counsels. She can be favored with the finest arguments. She will have the support of all those who trust and believe her.

Now, the impeachment process is virtually dead. The allegations and accusations remain unanswered, the doubts and suspicions about the person and the Office of the President continue. The rallies and marches against her go on. The economy suffers. Social peace is far from sight.

That was why the CBCP endorsed the impeachment process. That was why the President herself welcomed it. That was why congress began working on it. That was why the senate was in a stand-by mode.

But now, people are kept guessing and wondering. The President is left to live with all the unresolved impeachable complaints made against her. The country is having more and bigger economic problems.

All this is because the truth is chained, gagged and canned. But it will not, cannot be this way forever. This is because truth will ultimately make itself known. When this happens, then we as a people will be set free.

Oscar Cruz

About The Blogger

Most Reverend Oscar V. Cruz, D.D. is the Archbishop-Emeritus of Lingayen-Dagupan. He is currently the Judicial Vicar of the National Tribunal of Appeals. He is a prolific writer, having published several dozen books mostly on judicial and moral matters. His most recent book is about the Social Doctrines of the Church. He also has a blog where he posts regularly. He is an avid coin collector and dabbles in woodworking art.